Chrysler PT Cruiser in wild style acts like a car-van-truck
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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DEL MAR, Calif. -- Surfers catch curling Pacific waves in the twilight of sunset off Del Mar near San Diego, as we gather in the sand on shore for a tailgate party where the centerpiece vehicle resembles a woody wagon lifted from those '60s beach-blanket movies with Frankie and Annette.
Or is it a 1937 panel van fitted with side windows and modern bumpers and wheels?
Or maybe it's a Beetle from the Sixties radicalized with bulging retro fenders and an eggcrate grille added up front.
Or it's a souped-up Fifties street 'rod rigged with four doors and a liftgate so it functions in disguise as a Nineties minivan.
Whatever this thing is, it looks like no other vehicle. Yet the lines -- a boxy body tipping forward like a dragster with exaggerated fenders and that chin-out grille plus a massive roll of sheetmetal wrapping around the top-heavy rear -- suggest both the old and the new, as if a blender, filled with assorted automotive concepts as diverse as that beach buggy, panel truck, hot rod and minivan, whipped up a new concoction that's, as the surfers would say, way-cool.
Stylists at Chrysler devised the original two-door version as a design exercise, then showed it off at the Geneva Auto Show in 1998 as the Pronto Cruizer. The form-follows-function concept revolved around a tall vertical package for maximum interior space and multiple purposes, with the exterior warped as a contemporary tribute to classic car forms of earlier eras.
Well, public and media reactions to the Cruizer showcar was so forceful that Chrysler's marketing wizards built a strong case for a Cruizer market and now, two years after the concept car rolled onto the stage at Geneva, a production version rolls out of a Chrysler assembly plant in Mexico as a 2001 multi-purpose vehicle under the banner of PT Cruiser -- as in Personal Transportation Cruiser.
Developed from a dedicated platform modified from the compact-class Neon sedan, the PT Cruiser will be sold around the world, although the first ones go to North America.
Following the beach party, we put a PT Cruiser to the test with a day of driving over mountains and deserts, tracing twisty back roads and quick-clip freeways alike. The experience produced vivid and positive reactions -- not just from the driver but those who encountered this unusual car along our path -- and some surprises.
Our biggest surprise concerned the substantial feel of the Cruiser, the rigidity of its structure and the impressive way that all parts mesh together and function in a tight, no-nonsense manner.
The tightness translates through an extended wheelbase and broad track into surprisingly competent road manners, with unexpected agility when mastering a set of curves and a stability at freeway speeds that defies the compact size of the package.
Suspension elements include independent MacPherson struts in front and a twist beam axle in back with trailing arms and transverse linkage added to control lateral sway when cornering and decrease dive and squat tendencies when accelerating or braking.
As a result, there's virtually no wiggle at the rear, as a tail wagging the dog.
Respectable power flows from a spunky little engine.
Cruisers for the United States use an efficient twin-cam 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder engine that serves up to 150 hp and still earns reasonable fuel economy numbers.
A sporty five-speed manual stands as the standard transaxle, but an automatic four-speed is available and it doesn't sap the punch of the engine or its efficiency.
The rack and pinion steering system gets a small rack to quicken the turning response, and brakes bring thick front rotors and large rear cylinders for strength to trim the stopping time.
Also, a variety of unseen measures were employed to reduce and control noise and vibrations stemming from engine, road surface and air rushing around external body forms. The result: It's quiet inside the Cruiser, even when running at highway speed.
Despite bold exterior styling in a radical look that defies categorizing, much less describing, the interior design for the Cruiser scores as its most inventive aspect. With 26 defined positions for the seats and a flat cargo floor, the space becomes a canvass for personal expression.
The interior structure is tall, which accommodates seats that rise high like chairs and creates voluminous space with access through four wide and deep doors plus the flip-up rear gate.
Sitting erect with hips elevated not only feels more comfortable than a slouched stance in the typical car seat but sets the head in a commanding position so you can see more clearly outside the vehicle.
High seats also make it easy to climb aboard because you simply slip laterally into the seat.
Headroom is generous even for tall passengers and so is the legroom for front and back seats. Up front, there are two buckets separated by a console, and in back a firm bench makes room for three adults.
We rode for a few miles in the back and quickly added this experience to our list of surprises because Cruiser's rear bench may be the most comfortable we've encountered.
The back of the front passenger bucket folds forward to form a flat horizontal surface, and the backs of the rear bench, divided into two sections of 35/65 percent, also fold flat on the same plane as the folded front seatback.
Long cargo items like lumber can be stacked on top of these folded seats and extended from dashboard to tail door.
The two sections of the rear seat also fold and tumble forward to create a larger cargo bay, and they have integrated handles and wheels and can be removed entirely via quick-release latches, then rolled away for storage.
With both rear seats removed, the cargo area measures to 64 cubic feet, which rivals a sport-utility wagon.
A sturdy shelf in the rear locks into five different positions for varied functions, including a tray, cargo divider, even a tailgate table.
Safety issues are addressed by the PT Cruiser in many ways, beginning with a safety-cage structure and extending to passive safety systems like frontal and side air bags plus active controls such as optional anti-lock brakes.
However, the sweetest surprise from PT Cruiser comes from the price points. Figures begin at $16,000 for the base edition and $19,000 for a nicely equipped Limited draped in leather, with a loaded Limited rigged with a power moonroof and premium sound kit topping out around $22,000.
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| 2001 CHRYSLER PT CRUISER VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Compact 5-door hatchback
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| Model Options: |
Compact 5-door hatchback
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| Wheelbase: |
103.0 inches
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| Overall Length: |
168.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
DOHC 2.4-L I4
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| Transmission: |
Manual/5, Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS opt.
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
20/26 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
$ 16,000 to $ 22,000 |
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